1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to exercise devices for rehabilitating and strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor, particularly the collective group of muscles referred to as the female pubococcygeal and related perineal musculature.
2. Description of the Related Art
An area of great concern to women and health care providers as well are pelvic health disorders that involve the pelvic area (bladder, pelvic floor muscle, rectum and uterus). The lower pelvic muscles may become damaged or weakened through childbirth, lack of use, age, or as the result of surgical procedures. One of the symptoms related to a weakening of these muscles is urinary incontinence. Other pelvic disorders include chronic pelvic pain and vulvodynia (pelvic muscle dysfunction) that are sometimes experienced by young adult women. These disorders are caused by involuntary contractions (spasms) of the levator ani and perineal muscles. This condition is called vaginismus or pelvic floor tension myalgia and is accompanied by painful and difficult penetration of the vagina.
Various exercise devices have been developed in an attempt to restore the pelvic floor muscles, with the specific goal of strengthening the muscles that surround the urethra to overcome urinary incontinence in women. An early-patented pelvic exercise device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,928,893, issued to Dr. Ralph D. Hoard in 1933. The device is intended to be inserted into a patient's vagina to exercise the vaginal muscles. It includes a two-sided tubular apparatus whose sides are biased slightly apart by springs. The sides of the tubular device are squeezed against the pressure of the springs by contraction of the vaginal muscles.
Additional patents have been issued for a number of other exercisers, including U.S. Pat. No. 2,763,265 (E. G. Waters) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,092 (Stanley D. Harpstead). The Waters device is a generally hard tubular probe that has varying cross sectional dimensions for assistance in identifying the various muscle groups and for applying isometric exercise to those muscle groups within or connected to the vagina. The Harpstead device is a hollow body designed to receive various configurations of weights. With the patient in the upright position, the device is inserted within the vagina so that the muscles of the vagina and the pelvic area must be constricted and held in a continuing contracted or squeezed state without further change in muscle length (isometric exercise).
U.S. Pat. No. 2,507,858 to Kegel shows an exercising device that includes a probe in the form of a pressurized sleeve that is inserted within the vagina to exercise the muscles around the vagina and to measure their strength. An external pressure gage is connected to the probe via a flexible air tube that extends externally of the vagina. The external gage provides a visual indication of muscle force applied during exercise.
Du Vall U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,147 shows a vaginal probe that includes an internal pressure sensor that is connected to an external contraction intensity meter via electrical conductors.
Perry U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,019 shows a vaginal probe equipped with electrodes for sensing minute natural electrical impulses within the vagina and communicating those impulse signals via electrical conductors to an external display unit for biofeedback purposes.
Fabian U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,987 shows a vaginal treatment probe connected to an external compliance monitor.
Pauser U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,832 shows a vaginal probe that includes an internal pressure sensor that is connected to an external display meter via electrical conductors for monitoring the contraction of pelvic floor muscles.
Wax U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,045 shows a vaginal probe that includes an internal pressure sensor that is connected to an external display device via electrical conductors for monitoring the contraction of pelvic floor muscles. Biofeedback patterns formed on the display device guide the patient through an exercise routine.
Notwithstanding the existence of such conventional exercise devices, there is a continuing interest in an improved exerciser that allows the patient to exercise the vaginal muscle groups in complete privacy at home or under clinical supervision, with dynamic real-time biofeedback, is simple to use, has a low risk of injury and is easy to maintain. There is a further need for a biofeedback probe and monitor for use by women who are experiencing painful pelvic spasms (pelvic floor tension myalgia), that provides visual as well tactile feedback signals as an aid for training pelvic muscle relaxation techniques.